This invention relates generally to the field of portrait photography, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for facilitating the taking of a portrait photograph by providing a video image of a subject and providing a creative special effect modification overlaid on the video image.
In the art of photography, and especially portrait photography, the photographer must be able to properly position a subject so that a desired balance and symmetry is achieved in a final portrait. Beyond proper subject placement, however, is the effective choice of a special effect which enhances the appearance of the foreground subject. Examples of choices of special effects include vignetting, burnt corners, double exposure with blend and soft focus. The special effects have been created using a "special effects wheel" in the camera positioned behind the lens where the wheel includes a plurality of masks selectable by the photographer. For further details on how the special effects wheel operates, reference is made to co-pending application Ser. No. 954,119 filed Sep. 30, 1992 entitled SPECIAL EFFECTS CARRIER. In that it has not proven feasible to locate a special effects wheel within the zoom lens of a dual ported camera, such as is disclosed in the Lindenfelser U.S. Pat. No. 5,055,863, the images carried by the special effects wheel cannot be effectively added to a video image of the subject on a monitor screen.
Additionally, some of the same special effects, as well as still other effects, may be applied at the photographic printer at the time prints of the photographic images are to be made. These additional effects include adding of captions and graphics to the resulting print. To allow previewing on a video monitor, these same special effects must be simulated.
Co-pending and commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/091,659, filed Jul. 14, 1993, to Surma et al. and incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method and apparatus which enables a novice photographer to properly position a subject within the field of a photograph such that the subject's head, shoulders, arms, etc. are in proper relationship to the overall photographic rendering. This positioning is accomplished by providing a professionally created posing mask which displays markings for subject placement and which is overlaid on a video image of the subject at the photography site. This video image is identical to the image presented to the lens of a film camera operated by the photographer, thereby permitting the photographer to move the camera and/or the subject so that the subject is in alignment with the posing mask.
While the posing mask described above assures proper subject placement, the observable video image displays only the image of the subject which is available at the photography site. Thus, the customer can only guess at a choice of special effects to be included in a final print of the subject, or the film processor must provide a plurality of proofs which exemplify various available special effects. In either event, the customer may not be pleased or the cost for the service may be excessive.
It is therefore apparent that a need is present for an effective approach to realistically inform a customer wanting a portrait photograph of a subject of choices for the appearance of a finished portrait. A primary object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus whereby a photography subject can view an entire portrait through on-site video display of the yet to be printed portrait with at least one special effect in place.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a plurality of special effects which can be recalled at the photography site from a computer data storage means for video display with the video image of the subject.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for both a video overlay for pose positioning and a video overlay for special effects presentation at the time a portrait photo is taken or at the time the image captured on file is to be printed at the laboratory.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in the description which follows.